Wednesday, April 23, 2014

1880s Autograph Album of Minnie M. Beard, a student at Otterbein University in Ohio


1880s autograph album that belonged to Minnie M. Beard, a student at Otterbein University at Westerville, Ohio.


As if this album wasn't interesting enough, it's even more interesting because Minnie penned notes about the signers.  One such page was that signed by William C. Wickham, who was the president of the Class of 1883 at Otterbein University.  Sadly, Minnie noted that he was one of the over 2200 victims of the Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889 in Pennsylvania.


The album is approximately 4-1/4" x 3" and contains the sentiments of nearly 80 of Minnie's relatives, friends and schoolmates.  An alphabetical list of the signers appears at the end of this post.


From online research, hopefully correct:  [corrections and additions welcome!]

Minnie's 1942 obituary in the St. Petersburg Times of St. Petersburg, Florida, indicates that she was a graduate of Otterbein University Conservatory of Music and that she died at the home of her brother, Alvin Glossbrenner Beard.  I had searched for Minnie Kincaid because a 1901 Otterbein University publication mentioned her as an 1885 graduate of the Conservatory of Music there and that her surname was then Kincaid.


Minnie was presumably the daughter of Jacob Beard Julia Ann (Wolfe) Beard, but I hope to hear from a reader with more information.

On 29 April 1896 at Hendricks, Indiana, Minnie M. Beard married bookkeeper Wendell T. Kincaid, son of Thomas and Sarah Kincaid of Dayton, Ohio.  Minnie and Wendell lived at Indianapolis, Indiana; Charleston, West Virginia and, finally, St. Petersburg, Florida.  They raised at least four children.

If you have corrections and/or additions to the information above, or information on any of the signers mentioned below, please leave a comment or contact me directly.

Minnie pasted some newspaper clippings on the back end paper and inside back cover.  [Click to enlarge.]


Two people in the album indicated a cousin relationship with Minnie.  One was Maimee C. Shunk [not sure of given name or surname], who signed a page on June 21, 1882.


The other cousin was possibly Nell E. Crissman or Well E. Crissman, or perhaps Crissman was not a surname but rather a town in Pennsylvania.  If you can clear up this confusion, please leave a comment.


Surnames in the album

?            [14]
Beard    [2]
Cathcart
Coomer
Cornell
Crissman
Daymude
Dickerson
Dwyer
Everhart
Fall
Funk
Gardner    [3]
Gilbert
Graves
Harbert
Hatfield
Herlocker
Hill
Jinkins
Judy
Keister
Kinsey
Kumler
Lorenz    [2]
Lotspeich    [2]
Markley    [2]
McClure
Mills    [2]
Moore
Mundhenk
Orndorff
Phinney    [2]
Pickford
Queen
Reamer
Reed
Reese
Rogers    [2]
Scott    [2]
Shunk    [2]
Sinclair
Slusser
Slyh
Smith
Stauffer
Stimmel
Thomas
Thompson
Weller    [2]
Wickham
Wilkinson
Wolff
Wyatt
Zaring


Signers in the album    [Note: Given names within a specific surname may not be in alphabetical order.]

?S. J. S., signed at Otterbein University on November 14, 1884 "Remember the eve you wrote that letter to Miss ? Philips of Ashley, Ohio"
  • J. A. J. of Grover, Ohio, or Groves, Ohio. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Cora
  • Fred, signed on February 26, 1882. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Rob, signed on November 4 [no year written]
  • Lida
  • Signed on January 21, 1883 by Spiro Spero [?]. Page is written in code. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Lel F. [part of the first name is erased], signed at Westerville, Ohio, on June 6, 1883. Minnie's later note: "Dead"
  • Hettie, signed at Ashley, Ohio. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Anna M. P.  Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Minnie's cousin, but I can't quite decipher the name and place. It looks like "Nell E. Crissman, Pa", but I don't know if Crissman is a surname or a placename, and "Nell" could be "Well".
  • Rachel, signed on December 28, 1882
  • R. W. P. of Westerville, Ohio, signed on February 25, 1883; "Neighbor Boy"
  • H. L. F.; C. M. Erck
B
  • Minnie M. Beard, signed at Otterbein University on February 27, 1880; album owner
  • Alice K. Beard, signed at Westerville, Ohio, on May 10, 1880 - she may have been Minnie's sister Alice C. Beard, if K stood for Kate, as in Catherine.
C
  • Clarence C. Cathcart of Dayton, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on March 25, 1880
  • Harry Coomer, signed at Ashley, Ohio, on August 6, 1882; presumably Harry A. Coomer
  • A. Blanche Cornell of Westerville, Ohio, signed on April 3, 1880
  • Minnie's cousin, but I can't quite decipher the name and place. It looks like "Nell E. Crissman, Pa", but I don't know if Crissman is a surname or a placename, and "Nell" could be "Well".
D
  • J. A. Daymude, signed at Otterbein University. Minnie's later note in ink: "Married", and in pencil: "Dead". Presumably James A. Daymude
  • Lulie Dickerson, signed on September 12, 1887 [or 1881]
  • Maude M. Dwyer, signed on December 18, 1882 at Otterbein University. Minnie's later note: "Died June 29, 1886"
E
  • Emma Everhart, signed at Basil, Ohio
F
  • Lu M. Fall of New Paris, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on March 22, 1880
  • W. R. Funk of West Newton, Pennsylvania. Minnie's later note: "Married"
G
  • Frank Gardner, signed at Otterbein University on May 20, 1880
  • Mary Gardner, Class of 1881 at Otterbein University. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Jennie Gardner, signed at Otterbein University on May 19, 1880
  • Billie Gilbert of Dayton, Ohio; mentions Senior Party of June 8, 1885 [or 1883]
  • A. S. Graves of Columbus, Ohio, signed at Westerville, Ohio, on August 13, 1882
H
  • May Harbert, signed at Ashley, Ohio, on June 22, 1882. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • W. F. Hatfield of Westerville, Ohio, signed on "10-4-81" at Otterbein University, Class of 1882. Minnie's later note: "Died July 1, 1882
  • W. B. Herlocker of Freeport, Illinois, signed on June 15, 1882
  • E. H. Hill, signed at Otterbein University, on April 5, 1881. Minnie's later note: "Dead"
  • B. T. Jinkins; presumably Byram Thomas Jinkins, who attended Otterbein University. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • C. S. Judy, signed on April 30, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • L. H. Keister, signed at Germantown, Ohio, on May 2, 1880; "your classmate"
  • Nettie C. Kinsey of Galion, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University, on Mary 5, 1880
  • Frank A. Z. Kumler, signed at Westerville, Ohio, on March 1, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Justina A. Lorenz, signed at Otterbein University on April 13, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Daniel E. Lorenz, signed at Otterbein University; Minnie's classmate
  • Mrs. Mamie Lotspeich, signed on August 20, 1882
  • C. L. Lotspeich, signed on August 20, 1882
  • Ida M. Markley of Cherry Grove, Ohio. Minnie's later note: "Married March 20, 1883. Died July 24, 1883"
  • O. L. Markley of Sweet Wine, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on April 10, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Lizzie McClure, signed at Preston, Ohio, on "3-11-82; not sure of surname as it ran off the page
  • J. S. Mills, Minnie's pastor; presumably Rev. Job Smith Mills, whose wife Mary (Keister) Mills signed the overleaf. He was an administrator at Otterbein University and later Western College and Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.  http://www.fooa.org/EastEndWalkingTour/East%20End%20Tour/East%20Main/400%20Block/444%20East%20Main/444%20East%20Main.htm
  • M. K. Mills of Westerville, Ohio; presumably Mary (Keister) Mills, whose husband, Rev. Job Smith Mills, signed the overleaf. http://www.fooa.org/EastEndWalkingTour/East%20End%20Tour/East%20Main/400%20Block/444%20East%20Main/444%20East%20Main.htm
  • B. E. Moore of Sparta, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University, on March 6, 1883
  • Minnie Mundhenk of Pyrmont, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on June 11, 1882
  • Asa Orndorff
  • J. B. Phinney, Class of 1882 at Otterbein University, signed on February 27, 1882
  • Ida Phinney, signed on May 10, 1882
  • Alfred Pickford, signed at Ashley, Ohio, on March 13, 1882; A.H.S.
  • C. N. Queen, signed at Otterbein University, on March 18, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • W. D. Reamer of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, signed at Otterbein University, Class of 1882. Not sure of Greensburg; might be Greunsburg
  • Alice C. Reed of Cherry Grove, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University
  • W. C. Reese, signed at Westerville, Ohio. Minnie's later note in ink: "Married" and a further note in pencil: "Dead"
  • A. M. Rogers of Columbus, Ohio, signed on March 3, 1880; Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Ida J. Rogers of Columbus, Ohio, signed on March 4 [no year written]
  • Annie M. Scott of Preston, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on March 18, 1880
  • Bertha A. Scott, signed at Otterbein University on April 24, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Maimee C. Shunk, signed on June 21, 1882; Minnie's cousin
  • Imogene J. Shunk, signed at Cardington, Ohio, on October 26, 1881. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • J. P. Sinclair, Class of 1885, presumably at Otterbein University. Minnie's later note, written in two places: "Married"
  • Harry Slusser of Louisville, Ohio, signed at Otterbein University on December 17, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Lottie C. Slyh, signed on March 7, 1880
  • Rev. J. F. Smith of Circleville, Ohio, signed on March 7, 1881. "Class of 1879". Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Henry Stauffer of Sterling, Kansas, signed at Otterbein University, on April 26, 1880. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • Jay C. Stimmel, signed at Westerville, Ohio, on October 20, 1884; schoolmate at Otterbein University
  • E. N. Thomas, signed at Otterbein University on January 18, 1883
  • Jessie F. Thompson, signed at Otterbein University on April 26, 1880
  • J. Weller, signed at Westerville, Ohio, on February 25, 1881; Minnie's pastor. He gave his middle initial, but I can't decipher it. Possibly Joseph A. Weller: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ksdickin/1893bios/1893wellerjosepha.html
  • Mrs. M. E. Weller of Westerville, Ohio, signed on March 16, 1881. Minnie's later note: "Died September 20, 1881". From Find-a-Grave. She was Mary Elizabeth (Pletcher) Weller, born 7 November 1844 in Ohio, daughter of Andrew and Rachael (Thomas) Pletcher and wife of Joseph Augustus Weller.
  • William C. Wickham, President of the Class of 1883 at Otterbein University, signed on May 1, 1883. Minnie's later note: "Drowned in Johnstown Flood" [May 31, 1889]
  • ? Wilkinson; ornate initials; possibly P. F. Wilkinson.  Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • James M. Wolff of Navarre, Ohio, signed on "9/12/1881. Minnie's later note: "Died October 20, 1881"
  • Charles E. Wyatt, signed at Ashley, Ohio. Minnie's later note: "Married"
  • H. O. Zaring of Frankfort, Indiana, signed on December 21, 1883 at Otterbein University; not sure of initials, but the signer could have been Henry Oliver Zaring
Westerville, Ohio


Thanks for stopping by!

2 comments:

  1. I didn't find William C. Wickham on the list of the casualties in David McCollough's book The Johnstown Flood. It has the most complete list I have found, including the passengers on a train which was in Johnstown at the time. But he might have been among the casualties anyway. There were a lot of people unaccounted for so I'm sure there were a lot of unknowns as well.

    My grandfather, his parents, and his brothers, as well as his aunts and their families all survived. We grew up with his story and I just learned his brother's account from a second cousin. Posted here: http://myoldohiohome.com/2014/03/19/the-hamilton-family-and-the-1889-johnstown-flood/

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  2. That wonderful horse saved your family! Perhaps Minnie heard the circumstances of William's death wrong - or perhaps he died some time afterward from injury or stress. Thanks for checking the list.

    ReplyDelete